тн

man

seem

That look not like the inhabitants o'the earth,
And yet are on't? Live you? or are you aught
That
may question?

You

to under

stand me, By cach at once her choppy finger laying Upon her skinny lips : You should be women, And yet your beards forbid me to interpret That you are so.. Mach. Speak, if you can ;

What are you? 1. Witch. All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee , Thane

of Glamis ! 2. Witch. All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane

of Cawdor! 3. Witch. All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be King

hereafter. Ban. Good Sir, why do you start; and seem

to fear Things that do sound so fuir ? I'the name of

truth. Are ye fantastical, or that indeed Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner You greet with present grace, and great prediction Of noble having, and of royal hope, That he seems rapt withal; to me you speak not: If you can look into the seeds of time, And say, which grain will grow, and which will

not ; Speak then to me, who neither beg, nor fear, Your favours, nor your hate.

So, all hail, Macbeth, and Banquo !

1. Witch. Banquo, and Macbeth, all hail ! Macb. Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me

more:

By Sinel's death, I know, I am Thane of Glamis;
But how of Cawdor? the Thane of Cawdor lives,
A prosperous gentleman ; and, to be Kiing,
Stands not within the pro«pect of belief,
No more than to be Cawdor. Say, from whence
You ove this strange intelligence? or wliy
Upon this blasted heath you siop our way
With such prophetick greeting? Speak, I charge

yon. [Witches vanish. Ban. The earth hath bubbles, as the water 1129, And these are of them : Whither are they væ

nish'd ? Macb. Into the air; and what seem'd corporal,

melted As breath into the wind. 'Would they had

staid! Ban. Were such things here, as we do speak

about?
Or have we eaten of the insane root,
That takes the reason prisoner?

Macb. Your children shall be Kings
Ban. You shall be hing.
Macb. And Thaue of Cawdor too; went it not so ?
Ban. To the self-same tune, and words. Who's

here?

Enter Rosse, and ANGUS.

Piosse. The King hath happily receivid, Macbeth, The news of thy success: and when he reads Thy personal venture in the rebels' fight, His wonders and his praises do contend,

Which should be thine, or his: Silenc'd with that,
In viewing o'er the rest o'the self-same day,
He finds thee in the stont Norweyan ranks,
Nothing afcard of what thyself didst make,
Strange images of death. As thick as tale,
Came post with post; and every one did bear
Thy praises in his kingdom's great defence,
And pour'd them down before him.

Ang. We are sent,
To give thec, from our royal master, thanks ;
To herald thee into his sight, not pay thee.

Rosse. And, for an earnest of a greaier honour, He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor: In which addition, hail, most worthy Thanc ! For it is thine.

Ban. What, can the devil speak true ?
Macb. The Thane of Cawdor lives; Why do

you dress me In borrow'd robes ?

Ang. Who was the Thane, lives yet; But under heavy judgment bears that life Which he deserves to lose. Whether he was Combin'd with Norway; or did line the rebel With hidden help and vantage; or that with both Hc Labour'd in his country's wreck, I kilow not; But treasons capital, confess'd, and provid, Have overthrowii him.

Mach. Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor: Tlie greatest is behind. Thanks for your pains. Do you not hope your children shall be Kings, When those that gave the Thane of Cawdor to me, Promis'd no less to them?

Ban. That, trusted home, Might yet enkindle you mo the crown, Beside the Thane of Cawdor. But 'tis strange :

And oftentimes, to win as to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths;
Win us with honest irifies, to betray us
In deepest consequence.
Cousins, a word, I pray you.

Macb. Two truths are told,
As happy prologues to the swelling act
Of the imperial theme. - I thank yoni, Gentlemen.
This supernatural soliciting
Cannot be ill; cannot be good: -- if ill,
Why hath it given mc carnest of success,
Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor:
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
Whosc horrid image doih ufix my hair,
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,
Against the use of nature ? Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings:
My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,
Shakes so my single state of man, that function
Is smother'd in surmise; aud nothing is,
Bi:t what is not.

Ean. Look, how our partner's rapt.
Macb. If chance will have ine King, why,

cliance may

Crown me, Without my stir.

Ban. New honours come upon him Like our strange garment's ; cleave not to their

mould, Lut with the aid of nse.

Macb. Come what coine may; Time and the hour runs through the roughest day. Ban. Worthy Macbeth, stay upon your

we

With things forgotten. Kind Gentlemen, your pains
Are register'd where every day I turn
The leaf to read them. Let us toward the King.
Think upon what hath chanc'd; and, at more time,
The interim having weigh'd it, let us speak
Our free hearts each to other.

Ban. Very gladly.
Macb. Till then, enough.

Come, friends.

[Excunt.

S CE N E IV.

Fores. A Room in the Palace.

Tlourish. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONAL

BAIN, LENOX, and Attendants.

Dun. Is execution done on Cawdor? Are not Those in commission yet return'd ?

Mal. My Liege,
They are not yet come back. But I have spoke
With one that saw him die : who did report,
That very frankly he confess'd his treasons ;
Implor'd your Highness' pardon; and set forth
A deep repentance: nothing in his life
Became him, like the leaving it; he died
As one that hath been studied in his death,
To throw away the dearest thing he ow'd,
As 'twere a careless trifle.

Dun. There's no art,
To find the mind's construction in the face :
He was a gentleman on whom I built
An absolute trust O worthiest cousin !